When Money is Tight, These 6 Resources Will Help Nearly Everyone
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like. It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
We’re not judging — we don’t roll like that. We’re here to help. We just don’t want you to have to sell those Elvis-Presley-signed velvet pants you inherited just to pay some lousy plumbing bill. Those pants are sweet.
Try these tips to get the ball rolling, and start building up your savings so you can breathe a little easier.
1. Ask for Some Help — You Deserve It
If you’re really in a bind, start with 2-1-1, a confidential service offered through United Way that’ll help you find the resources you need to find affordable housing, make rent or pay utilities. It’s there for people like you.
To use the service, head to 211.org and enter your location. It’ll show you services in your community and give you a number to call. It’s a clearinghouse for help with food, housing, utilities and employment. If you’ve never asked for help before, that means you don’t know what kind of help is out there.
You can also look into applying for a grant. Take, for example, Modest Needs grants, which are designed for workers just about the poverty line who are ineligible for most other forms of social assistance.
2. Earn up to $83 Every Time You Win This Viral Game
Lots of us already play Solitaire on our phones for fun. Want to see if you can win money at it?
A free app called Solitaire Cash lets you play for real money — up to $83 per win.
For each game of Solitaire, you’ll compete against at least five other players. Everyone gets the same deck, so it’s all about skill. The top three players can win real money.
You can play free practice games or enter tournaments for as little as $1. Right now, Solitaire Cash will give you a $5 bonus to use toward tournaments when you add $10 to your account.
And no, this isn’t one of those spammy apps. There aren’t even any annoying ads. Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
Want to see how much you could win? You can start playing right now to find out. Download the free app and get your $5 bonus when you add $10.
3. Win Up to $83 When You Play This Cell Phone Game
Lots of us already play games on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free app called Bubble Cash that pays you for popping bubbles!
The game is based on a classic bubble-shooter format, and you’ll battle it out against other players within your skill level to see who can clear the board fastest. Everyone gets the same layout, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who clear their board fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has more than a million downloads and more than 12,500 ratings, averaging 4.6 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
4. Cancel Your Car Insurance
When was the last time you compared car insurance rates? Chances are you’re seriously overpaying with your current policy.
If it’s been more than six months since your last car insurance quote, you should look again.
And if you look through a digital marketplace called SmartFinancial, you could be getting rates as low as $22 a month — and saving yourself more than $700 a year.
It takes one minute to get quotes from multiple insurers, so you can see all the best rates side-by-side. Yep — in just one minute you could save yourself $715 this year. That’s some major cash back in your pocket.
So if you haven’t checked car insurance rates in a while, see how much you can save with a new policy.
5. Borrow up to $4,000 From This Company
You need cash ASAP, but you know better than to go with a payday loan1with outrageous interest rates. Luckily, a company called Opploans offers a more affordable alternative, letting you borrow $500 to $4,0002 when bad credit is holding you back.
The loans available through OppLoans4 come with half the annual percentage rate (APR) of a payday loan — between 59% and 199%, though this caps out at 160% in most states5. Compare that to the 400% you could get with a payday loan1.
Loan terms available through OppLoans are up to 18 months6 (not two weeks), meaning lower payments and more time for you to repay than a payday loan.
Loans offered through OppLoans also build credit history7 by reporting your payments to all three major credit bureaus (unless you live in Texas).
With OppLoans, it takes minutes to see if you qualify4. Most customers receive a final decision same-day4.
Just enter some basic information — your address, phone number, employer, income and bank account info. Applying won’t hurt your FICO score3, and, if approved, you’ll get the money as soon as the next business day, in most cases2.
6. Get Paid $225/Month While Watching Movie Previews
If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.
It’s too good to be true, right?
But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.
1 According to the Consumer Federation America, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, payday loans range in size from $100 to $1,000, depending on state legal maximums, and carry an average annual percentage rate (APR) of 400%. The maximum APR for a loan offered through and serviced by OppLoans is 199% and loan sizes range from $500 to $4,000.
2 Subject to credit approval and verification. Actual approved loan amount and terms are dependent on standard underwriting guidelines and credit policies.
3 Applicants’ credit scores are obtained from Clarity Services, Inc., a credit reporting agency, which shows up as a soft pull on your credit report and is only visible to you.
4 Applications submitted through the OppLoans website may be originated by one of several lenders, including: Opportunity Financial LLC, a licensed lender in certain states; or one of OppLoans’ lending partners. All loans originated by a lending partner will be serviced by OppLoans.
5 Rates and terms vary by state. This is an expensive form of credit and you should determine whether our product(s) meets your financial needs.
6 Installment loan amounts typically range from $500 to $4,000. APR ranges from 59% to 199%. Installment loan lengths range from 6 to 24 months. Example: A $2,000 installment loan repayable in 9 monthly payments would have an APR of 160% and monthly payments of $395.58. OppLoans does not offer credit products in all states. Please refer to “Rates and Terms” at www.opploans.com for additional details.
7 OppLoans reports customer payment history to the three major credit bureaus. On-time payments may improve credit score. Credit reporting not available for Texas customers.
